Rewrite the story of your body

As a personal trainer, strength coach and resident spiritual-optimist, I am constantly coaching clients at my gym in Portland on how to get more from their bodies. And we do get more! Every workout, I seek progress and try to observe it: better form, more reps, faster completion times, weight-loss, etc. Each client gets a little more out of each session and thus re-writes the story of their own body, that day.

Each of our bodies has a story, whether we're aware of it or not. It has a story about what it can do, what it can't, and why it is the way it is. Some of it is based in science, much of it is based in our imagination. Some athletes and gifted individuals have self-imposed an idea of little or no limitations at all. Some of us go the other way, imposing more and more restrictions around what we can and cannot do. Temporary pain becomes permanent, acute fatigue becomes chronic weakness (and then further disuse and further weakness). Soon these conditions lead to actual injuries and pain and reinforce their presence in our minds, which reinforces the symptoms...

My own body has a story. It wasn't a particularly terrible story, but it wasn't what I wanted. So I changed it. No drama, no diagnoses, no intervention with a super-trainer (though I have read many of their books). I just decided I wanted more and that I would do whatever it took to get more from my body. I had to figure out the actual plan through a bit of work, trial and error, and more work.

Result: the new story of my body.

I've dropped my old limitations (I still have limitations, I just constantly and gently push against them until they move). I have moved through pain, discomfort, and frustration to progress, strength and a renewed sense of self. Here's the best part: I've left a trail of bread crumbs. I have a road map that you can personalize to your body and needs, and make work for you.